Shiv Shankar Menon: Doklam standoff was China's technique to isolate Indians from Bhutanese

New Delhi, Feb 21 Former National Security Advisor (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon on Wednesday underscored the explanation behind China's movement in the Doklam Plateau, saying, "they [Chinese] had a political objective of part us from the Bhutanese."

"The reason why we saw that movement in Doklam last year ago was not because they had a clear military alternative or prevalence, however because they had a political objective of part us from [the] Bhutanese, to demonstrate the Bhutanese that India couldn't guard their security and also to arouse the Bhutanese opinion. I am happy we responded the way we did," Menon said at the North East Region of India-Bridging Gaps and Securing Borders Summit, here.

Head of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba cautioned of expanding emphaticness of China in the locale, saying it has been gaining quick ground both economically and militarily.

Chief naval officer Lanba used the occasion to highlight that there have been frequent instances of transgression by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) over the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

"A large portion of the state borders in the North East are universal fringes. Notwithstanding the cartographic distinction with China, peace and serenity has been kept up along the LAC for a very long while," Admiral Lanba said.

Underscoring the helplessness of the Siliguri Corridor, he, included, "However visit example of transgression by the PLA over the LAC and the current standoff at Doklam are sign of expanding confidence of China, as it gains quick ground both financially and militarily.

The Siliguri Corridor, also called the Chicken's Neck, is a restricted extend of land that connections the northeastern states with the rest of India.